February 2026
Happy February KHA
Groundhog Day is tomorrow! It is held annually on February 2nd, and it is a North American tradition where, if the groundhog sees its shadow, six more weeks of winter are predicted, otherwise spring arrives early. Groundhog Day originated from the European Candlemas traditions and German lore and the main event is in Punxsutawney, PA, featuring Punxsutawney Phil.
Let’s all hope the Groundhog does not see his shadow!
Warmly,
Marcella Terranova Clark
Chief Administrator/Superintendent
Kingston Hill Academy
Upcoming Community Events at KHA:
February at a glance…
Welcome To KHA Arrival/Dismissal Reminders:
Families and KHA Buses (Together) can begin arrival at KHA at 8:25 am. KHA Staff will be present outdoors and doors will open for student arrival at 8:28 am until 8:45am. Arrivals after 8:45am are considered tardy and will need to report to the front office.
KHA Buses will arrive at KHA at 3:10pm for dismissal and students will begin dismissal at 3:14pm. Buses begin first and then parent pick ups.
Parents/Guardians- please arrive at 3:14pm and not 3:10pm when forming a line. This will assist with road traffic as well.
If your child requires a dismissal earlier than 3:14pm it is considered an early dismissal. Our school day ends at 3:15pm. Please contact the office if we can support you and your family in any way and/or email Mr. V. and/or Mrs. Clark with any questions/concerns.
Thank you and have a nice day! Please drive safe and plan ahead for extra time for the safety of all our KHA students, staff, families, and community members. Safety is a priority!
Staff will direct families and students. Please drive to the back of the lot.
Adults please remain in cars. Our arrival and dismissal is a Drive-Thru process. Please follow with the traffic flow and designated areas for drop off/pick up. There will be signs and staff to direct traffic.
Please have students prepared to exit the vehicle and please place car seats on the left side when at all possible. This will assist with arrival and departure procedures as well as safety! Thank you!
In Case of Snow…
Snow has a way of sneaking up on all of us this winter season! Local news stations, radio stations, and our social media/web pages will all be updated in the case of a snow closing or delay.
We will also notify families through Blackboard Connect with an email/call/text to all KHA families.
RI Broadcasters Closing Alert System- Please log in for alerts for school closings!
https://www.ribroadcasters.com
Mr. V. will announce “Snow Play” the night before to families through our communication system. Students can play in the snow with their class as long as they have a jacket, gloves/mittens, and winter boots. We highly encourage students to wear snow pants and a change of clothes added in your child’s backpack in case they get wet.
School Calendar: 2025-2026
Please click on the link below.
KHA School Calendar 2025-2026 – * 1 snow day will be added to the last day
*Please plan vacations accordingly in reference to the school calendar. Vacations are considered unexcused absences by KHA and RIDE. Thank you for your support!
***School Times: 8:45 am -3:15 pm. Please report to the office after 8:45am and after 3:30pm.
KHA Office Notes:
If you need to send in a note to the office regarding changes to your student’s dismissal procedure for that day or a child’s absence, please send it to [email protected]. You will receive a confirmation email when the note has been received.
Please send your dismissal changes before 2 pm. All dismissal changes are sent to the classrooms at that time. This procedure will eliminate handwritten notes sent from home getting lost. This email will not be monitored after 2 pm – Please DO NOT send an email after 2 pm. Please call the office for any emergencies after 2:00 pm. Please take a minute to add this email address to your devices. A link will also be on the KHA website.
Thank you.
Important Notes from the Enrollment & Data Office:
All KHA Families : Please complete The Opt Out form below if you would NOT like information shared with KHA Families and/or publications such as social media and photos. We are also trying to create a student directory for families.
Thank you!
https://forms.gle/RSE8dc8aiqgPWmW96
Please notify Susannah Blair in the office of any address changes or family moves so your information stays up to date in our system and with your home district.
Interested in KHA for a sibling? Be sure to visit EnrollRI to enter our lottery for the 26-27 school year for your child. The lottery closes on March 18th and all eligible families will be notified in early April.
Spread the word: February 5th is the Kingston Hill Academy Open House from 5:30 – 7:00PM. Please encourage your friends to register to attend and consider our 5 Star School!
The Department of Health and RIDE have rolled out a new verification process for students receiving free & reduced school lunches. If your household has recently received a letter (view an example here) please send it with your child to the main office. Note: if your child is already in the free/reduced lunch program your eligibility is established and you do not need to be on the lookout for a letter.
KHA Highlights 2025-2026!
KHA is proud to share several exciting recognitions this school year!
RIDE Health and Wellness Grant:
The RI Department of Education awarded KHA a $10,000 grant that will fund our social emotional curricula such as Conscious Discipline, and Second step as well as our social emotional screener, DESSA. The grant will also fund a staff wellness initiative and student wellness initiative centered around mindfulness and exercise. Thank you to The SEL/Attendance Committee for their contributions to the grant I submitted on behalf of KHA.
RIDE Five-Star Rating:
The RI Department of Education awarded KHA a 5-Star Rating in its statewide accountability system, recognizing strong performance across key measures including student achievement, growth, and attendance. Notably, we are 1 out of only 21 schools across RI to receive this 5 star rating!
Attendance:
KHA was recognized by RIDE and Governor McKee through the Attendance Matters RI Campaign for maintaining one of the lowest absenteeism rates in the state, an achievement that highlights our students’ engagement and our staff and family dedication.
America’s Healthiest Schools Award:
KHA is proud to be named one of America’s Healthiest Schools for 2025 by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation–one of only two schools in Rhode Island to earn this national distinction. This recognition celebrates our ongoing work to support whole-child health, physical activity, student and staff well-being, and family engagement with our school community.
Elected Official Visit:
In honor of our award, we welcomed Sen. Elaine Morgan to KHA. Her visit provided an opportunity to celebrate our award. The timing aligned with our student leadership elections and provided a meaningful real-world connection to student learning.
RIDE Attendance Campaign:
KHA’s Attendance Committee meets monthly to discuss proactive measures to increase attendance at KHA for students. Supports such as Hazel Health, Social Work, Nurse support are provided to our families. Letters, meetings and The Nudge Tool will be utilized by KHA.
Ask your child about “The Woot Woot Wagon”!
Here’s how it works:
We track the daily perfect attendance for classrooms. Each day a class has 100% attendance, their class gets a ticket entered in the end of week raffle and also gets a fish on the bulletin board.
On Friday, we pull a ticket and that GRADE LEVEL wins the woot woot wagon on Monday. time we meet.
At the end of each week, the grade level with the most fish stickers will win a visit from the “Woot Woot Wagon” The Woot Woot Wagon” will visit the winning classrooms on the following Monday.
Why this matters:
Improving daily attendance supports stronger academic outcomes and builds a sense of community. This contest is a light-hearted way to make attendance exciting for students— we are “Happy To SEA Them” everyday!
Please encourage your students to take pride in earning their daily fish.
Thank you for your support in helping our students show up and shine every day!
School attendance is a powerful predictor of student outcomes. Rhode Island defines chronic absenteeism as the percentage of students who miss 10% or more of school days during the year (or two days per month). Research shows that chronic absenteeism is associated with a number of negative consequences for students, including lower achievement, disengagement from school, course failure, and an increased risk of dropping out. Attendance each day is even more critical to help get students on track in the wake of the pandemic. We know some absences are unavoidable, but any absence makes it more difficult for children to keep up with the daily learning needed to grow and succeed. Absences may also speak to larger issues around school climate, which is why it is important schools use their data to problem solve and provide students with necessary support and interventions.
While more work remains ahead to continue to curb chronic absenteeism, under the statewide, cross-sector #AttendanceMattersRI campaign, chronic absenteeism during the 2024-2025 school year declined approximately 2.6 percentage points, bringing the statewide chronic absenteeism rate from 24.7% in school year 2023-2024 to 22.1%. This represents 667,510 fewer absences from the height of the pandemic in 2021-22, representing 3.7 million additional instructional hours for students and bringing Rhode Island to nearly 12 percentage points below the 2021-2022 school year rate of 34.1%.
A #Back2SchoolRI Message from Commissioner Infante-Green
A Message From Nurse Judy:
Please consider packing an extra set of clothes in your child’s backpacks. Please dress in layers and dress for the weather. It is coat and jacket season and hat and mittens! Please no “summer attire” and/or crocs and/or slippers at school. PE class requires sneakers!
Please call Nurse Judy or send an email to [email protected] if your child will be absent from school.
Please send in a snack and water bottle daily with your child.
Please email Nurse Judy and arrange a time to drop off and complete any forms for medication at school.
Please get plenty of rest at night! School is a busy place with lots of learning! 🙂
Survey Works… Coming Your Way!
It’s Time for Survey Works!
Every year, the RI Department of Education puts out a survey called Survey Works which measures the overall climate and culture of Rhode Island schools. Your feedback on matters such as the safety of your child at school, the way students are taught, the conditions of the school, and your feeling of connection to the school community are part of this all-important survey. By taking part in this survey, you can help our school leadership and school community make improvements.
To take the survey between now and March 31st, visit bit.ly/ridefamily and simply select “Kingston Hill Academy” from the dropdown list.
Thank you in advance for your valuable time and input. If you have questions at all, please don’t hesitate to contact Mr. V at [email protected].
P.S. – Our KHA record is 179 responses and we would love for us to set a new record this year!
Bus Information:
Please click on the link below:
Before/After School Care Information:
Please click on the links below for more information.
PM-YMCA
Family Communication:
Based on the recent Family Survey, Information will be shared by:
Web page
Phone calls
BlackBoard Connect- KHA Emails/tests, and Robo Calls
Newsletters: KHA and Classroom
Class DOJO- Announcements only and photos!
*Families- Please use email! Class DOJO can not be utilized for communication and messages are not monitored! Thank you!
Chain of Command/Boundaries:
As a community, we are working on creating healthy boundaries as a staff so everyone’s personal needs are able to be met outside of school hours. We encourage a healthy work/life balance.
We encourage all our families to communicate with their child’s teachers and together form a partnership while establishing healthy boundaries with one another in means of communication and style.
Class DOJO will be utilized ONLY for announcements/reminders and photos this year.
Staff and families are encouraged to utilize email correspondence for communication and/or phone calls. Please be conscious that your child’s teacher will be teaching during the school day and only have access to emails during breaks, lunch, and before/after school.
Staff are expected to respond within 24 hours.
In case of an emergency and/or an immediate concern, families are encouraged to call the office and messages will be communicated with staff appropriately.
If there is a concern in the classroom, we kindly request that it is brought to your child’s teacher first, and then the Principal, and Chief Administrator if necessary.
Any emergency information can and should be sent to the Principal/Chief Administrator immediately.
We thank you for working with us on establishing healthy boundaries for staff and families as well establishing a chain of command for concerns and/or questions. We look forward to an excellent partnership this school year in supporting your child with you!
A Snapshot of our Curriculum:
Literacy/English Language Arts: Literacy/English Language Arts at KHA focuses on providing high-quality instruction, identifying potential reading difficulties, and developing literacy skills so that students may become life-long readers. Descriptions of the programs we use are below.
Wonders: Wonders is an evidence-based K–5 ELA program that empowers students to take an active role in learning and exploration. Students will enjoy unparalleled opportunities to express and assess themselves through reading, writing, and speaking. Students encounter the right content at the right moment in their learning journey to promote strong educational outcomes for all.
UFLI: UFLI is an explicit and systematic program that teaches students the foundational skills necessary for proficient reading. It follows a carefully developed scope and sequence designed to ensure that students systematically acquire each skill needed and learn to apply each skill with automaticity and confidence. The program is designed to be used for core instruction in the primary grades or for intervention with struggling students in any grade.
Mathematics: Every student needs and deserves a rich and rigorous mathematics curriculum that is focused on the development of concepts, the acquisition of basic and advanced skills and the integration of problem-solving experiences. KHA encourages educators to provide challenging mathematics opportunities to foster the growth of intelligent, thoughtful, and mathematically literate members of society. At KHA we use an integrated approach to mathematics outlined in the program description below.
Eureka Math is a math curriculum for grades pre-K through 12 that aims to help students develop a solid understanding of math concepts, procedural skills, and fluency. The curriculum was written by teachers and math experts to align with college- and career-ready standards that emphasize critical thinking, conceptual understanding, and deeper learning. Eureka Math is designed to make math more enjoyable to learn and teach by connecting math to the real world.
Science: A foundation in scientific literacy prepares students to be confident and capable lifelong learners who are equipped with the skills needed to access, understand, evaluate, and apply information in various contexts. The science curriculum aligns with the NGSS, Next Generation Science Standards, and provides students a foundation for life-long problem solving and fact-based decision-making skills. Regardless of their academic standing, all students should have access to a rich and challenging science curriculum that will promote scientific literacy, while inspiring and supporting advanced study and science-related careers. Descriptions of the programs we use are below.
FOSS Web Next Generation Edition: FOSS (Full Option Science System) is a research-based science curriculum for grades K-8 developed at the Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley. FOSS has evolved from a philosophy of teaching and learning that has guided the development of successful active-learning science curricula for more than 40 years. The FOSS Program bridges research and practice by providing tools and strategies to engage students and teachers in enduring experiences that lead to deeper understanding of the natural and designed worlds.
KHA is piloting Open Scied in Grade 5 this year and will be adopting this curriculum in 2026-2027. Our OpenSciEd Elementary units are centered around real-world phenomena children encounter every day! In OpenSciEd classrooms, teaching science isn’t just about facts and figures; it’s about creating a science learning experience that sparks your students’ curiosity and captures their imaginations. Through hands-on investigations and student-driven discussions, young learners will embark on a journey of scientific exploration, building a strong foundation for science learning in middle school and beyond!
Social Studies: Social Studies at KHA helps students understand the world in which they live and prepares them with the knowledge and skills to become informed, thoughtful, and active citizens in a culturally diverse democratic society and complex world. KHA creates conditions for every student to think critically and collaboratively, and act as a creative, self-motivated, culturally, and globally competent learner. The Rhode Island Social Studies Standards guide the lessons.
Physical Education: The goal of physical education at KHA is to teach students the concepts associated with health and wellness and provide students with the tools to build and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Students learn about various exercise and sports techniques, health issues, cooperation, safe play, and self-care. Emphasis is also placed on teamwork and good sportsmanship. KHA’s physical education program complies with all governing state laws and regulations.
Health: The goal of health education at KHA is to teach topics that cover all aspects of physical, mental, social, emotional health, and safety.
The Great Body Shop: The Great Body Shop promotes wellness through the integration of ten health content strands including substance abuse and violence prevention, injury and personal safety, fitness and nutrition, disease and illness prevention, body systems, growth & development, illness & disease prevention and consumer and environmental health. Social and emotional learning, as well as substance abuse and violence prevention skills and messages are integrated into every unit (if developmentally appropriate)
State Testing: RICAS is administered to all 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students each spring. This test is an assessment of student aptitude in the areas of Language Arts (Reading and Writing) and Mathematics. The Next Generation Science Assessment (NGSA) is administered to 5th graders each spring. Students are expected to meet proficiency levels in all areas of the test. KHA’s overall approach to its curriculum is designed to help students achieve proficient levels on these assessments.
Art-Each week students will receive Art Instruction with our newly appointed art instructor, Ms. Kathleen O’Connor. Welcome to KHA!
Music: Each week students receive music instruction. Music at KHA is intended to teach students about an art form based on creating, performing, and responding. KHA believes that the more students understand the basic elements of music the more they will enjoy the experience and enhance their appreciation. Music class at KHA offers a variety of opportunities to explore methods of artistic expression and enhance personal creativity.
State Assessments:
To: KHA Families and Staff
Subject: Spring 2025 RICAS Results
Dear Kingston Hill Academy Community,
Today, the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) shared publicly the 2025 results of RICAS and SATs. These are tests given across all Rhode Island Public Schools.
In Spring 2025, Kingston Hill Academy students in grades 3-5 took the RICAS tests in Math and English. Also, students in grade 5 took the NSGA Science Assessment.
Below are our proficiency and participation listed as a district.
Please keep in mind that RICAS scores are just one way to measure your child’s progress and they offer valuable insights into learning and growth. They help us as a school see where we’re strong and where we can grow as a community.
With continued effort, support, and a focus on growth, we will move forward. Let’s celebrate the progress we’ve made and stay focused on the possibilities ahead. The journey of learning is long, and RICAS is just one snapshot along the way.
Please reach out with any questions/concerns.
Thank you for your continued support and partnership.
KHA Family/Student Handbook:
The Family and Student Handbook is currently available. Please note there were significant changes made to some sections and should be reviewed at your earliest convenience. Thank you!
Please Also Note:
Hazel Health Is Available:
We know that staying mentally healthy is critical to engage in learning.
According to the National Center for Education Statistics: 70% of public schools say more students are seeking mental health services.
This school year, we’re proud to offer all students with access to online therapy and counseling services, through our partnership with Hazel Health. Services are 100% safe and confidential.
Your student can speak 1-on-1 with a licensed therapist from the convenience of school or home, with your consent. Hazel Health provides high-quality care for all students.
Hazel Health’s licensed therapists can help students navigate a wide range of issues, including:
Hazel’s short-term online therapy program has been proven to reduce symptoms of common mental health concerns — and gives kids tools to cope with challenges they face at school and beyond. Thank you!
Parents/guardians can also visit https://getstarted.hazel.co/district/kingstonhill to find their district, create an account, complete consent, and submit a referral. Guardians can also call 888-541-7063 to submit a referral. Support available from 9am – 9pm
Attachments:doc02044720250428122808.pdf
Please email Miss Wendy, our school social worker as well for any support, questions, and/or concerns @
Wendy Gariglio [email protected]
KHA PTO News:
2025-2026 PTO Board:
Purchase your KHA Attire!
The KHA Squadlocker store.
The PTO gets 10% back from anything purchased.
https://teamlocker.squadlocker.com/lockers/277980/download_flyer
A special thank you to our PTO, Staff, Volunteers, and Families as well as KHA’s Students for making this year’s events fun and well-attended event!
KHA Board of Trustees 24-25:
KHA Mission Statement:
Kingston Hill Academy (KHA) is dedicated to providing students with the opportunity for an inclusive, individualized, and challenging curriculum that supports them to reach their full potential.
Kingston Hill Academy ~ KHA ~ Contact Information:
KHA Web Page and Social Media:
Social Media:
Check us out and join us on Facebook @Kingston Hill Academy
Instagram @Kingstonhill
